Why Live Clean?
“Over 80% of products in the US contain chemicals that are linked to cancer”
Yikes.
This was honestly shocking to me. I knew there were certain things that were harmful but in our everyday things that we smell, eat, drink, apply to our skin, and touch? I had not one clue.
Another little fact: “products absorbed through the skin is far more harmful than oral consumption.”
Our skin has three layers: Epidermis, Dermis, and Hypodermis. If a product’s chemical is small enough to penetrate through that third layer, it will. To get more details on this topic, I really suggest reading this article—>LINK
Our organs such as kidneys and liver work as our filtrations system in our body to filter out “some” toxic ingredients and pass through our urine. This is partly why it is so important to drink lots of fluids, mainly water.
So think about all the things that we touch throughout the day. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), on average we touch about 9 products daily ranging from cleaning products, to body lotion, to food. Within those 9 products we touch, there are over 130 ingredients in them all together.
Let me hit you with another fact: More than 1400 ingredients that are in everyday products are banned in other countries such as Europe, Japan, etc because they have proven to be toxic or have some evidence that supports they may be toxic.
Wanna know how many are banned in the United States…9.
So when we touch those 9 products everyday that includes over 130 ingredients, we are more than likely absorbing at least one of those banned toxic chemicals into our body, bloodstream and lymphatic system. Again, yikes.
What is even more troubling is that this information has been proven by science to be TRUE, yet, major, brands and the FDA in the US continue to use and approve these toxic chemicals.
I won’t go into my conspiracy theories, because believe me, I GOT THEM…but I will just say it was disappointing to learn that majority of the goods sold in the US, contain toxic ingredients.
”Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s toxic free”
This is so important. Just because a product or a brand has the “natural” or “clean” or even “organic” label, does not mean it is toxic free. Using the word “clean” has become very popular and typically is a marketing ploy or greenwashing. ALWAYS👏🏽READ👏🏽THE👏🏽LABEL.
The phrase “clean living” or “toxic free”, by my standards, means to NOT consume processed foods and/or use any products that contains toxic ingredient in them. To see a list of Toxic ingredients to avoid, click here —> The Toxic List.
On the flip side of that, just because a product truly is all “natural” still does not mean it is safe….and if I am being completely honest, some products that contain toxic chemicals still get used in my household.
Why?
The toxic free product just does not work for me. I am on this journey to always strive for a clean and toxic-free lifestyle but the way the US is setup does not make it so easy. So until I find a replacement, I will use what I have on hand. I am always on the hunt though.
“Do what you can and allow God to do the rest”
A wise woman once said, “do what you can in this life, do your part in this world, and allow God to do the rest”.
I used to beat myself up over using harmful products. Once I did the research and then looked at what I had in my house, I literally felt sick to my stomach. Dramatic, I know…but my Husband had to remind me of the quote above.
I cannot control everything. God has the ultimate say but as long as I am trying and striving to live a better life for me and my family, and this planet that God gave us, God will see that and know I am doing my part.
So every small step we take too lessen the toxic chemicals we use and consume on a daily basis, gets us to a healthier lifestyle and a healthier environment for ourselves and for our babies. So, let’s all take steps toward a clean living lifestyle.
Y’all ready?
Here we go! 🌱
